Re: the language

From	Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk>
Newsgroups	comp.lang.c
Subject	Re: the language
Date	2014-12-18 02:15 +0000
Organization	A noiseless patient Spider
Message-ID	<87oar1zory.fsf@bsb.me.uk> (permalink)
References	(10 earlier) <kfnmw6n9prx.fsf@x-alumni2.alumni.caltech.edu> <m6r9p1$kl0$1@reader1.panix.com> <taakw.136698$Su5.107248@fx03.am4> <87bnn232xd.fsf@bsb.me.uk> <Gvgkw.108407$9b1.76311@fx05.am4>

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Richard Heathfield <invalid@see.sig.invalid> writes:

> Ben Bacarisse wrote:
>
>> Richard Heathfield <invalid@see.sig.invalid> writes:
<snip>
>>> I have a device in my possession that measures the precise distance
>>> between itself and three fixed points in the room. Please show me a
>>> well-defined C program that can read the data from my device correctly. I
>>> will test your program and let you know whether it works. If you can do
>>> it, I agree that I'm wrong. If you can't, I shan't.
>> 
>> This, I think, is at the heart of any apparent disagreement about terms
>> like "powerful".  You like C because it is powerful and easy to add
>> functionality to, and you think that these properties originate in the
>> fact C is, in some sense, less rigorously defined than some other
>> languages (again, I don't think exactly what the means really matters to
>> the argument).
>
> Almost. I wasn't thinking of it in comparison to other languages, actually, 
> but purely in its own terms.

Ah, we now be talking about different things.  My comment relates to
statements like this:

| A language in which every possible construct is either well-defined or 
| illegal makes it very difficult for programmers to add kinds of 
| functionality unanticipated by the language designers.

That seems to be contrasting C with other languages (even if
hypothetical ones).

> But yes, one of the reasons I like C is that it 
> doesn't get in one's way when one knows what one is doing. (Of course, this 
> does mean that, when one *doesn't* know what one is doing, one is in for 
> trouble; but, if one can't take a joke, one shouldn't have joined.)
>
>> Can you give an example or two of real programming languages that do not
>> have these properties, or have them to a much lesser extent than C does?
>> Ideally they should ones which lack these properties because they are
>> too "well-defined".  That would give people like me some sort of
>> baseline to know what you mean by these terms.
>
> I think Pascal is probably a good example.

Does the fact that ISO Pascal explicitly permits extensions later this
answer?

-- 
Ben.

Thread

the language Rosario193 <Rosario@invalid.invalid> - 2014-11-26 21:54 +0100
  Re: the language Rosario193 <Rosario@invalid.invalid> - 2014-11-26 21:56 +0100
    Re: the language John Bode <jfbode1029@gmail.com> - 2014-11-26 13:45 -0800
      Re: the language Rosario193 <Rosario@invalid.invalid> - 2014-11-28 11:52 +0100
      Re: the language "Bill Cunningham" <nospam@nspam.invalid> - 2014-12-01 23:25 -0500
      Re: the language "Bill Cunningham" <nospam@nspam.invalid> - 2014-12-02 00:56 -0500
        Re: the language Rosario193 <Rosario@invalid.invalid> - 2014-12-04 14:52 +0100
          Re: the language "Osmium" <r124c4u102@comcast.net> - 2014-12-04 08:07 -0600
            Re: the language Geoff <geoff@invalid.invalid> - 2014-12-04 10:20 -0800
  Re: the language Mark Storkamp <mstorkamp@yahoo.com> - 2014-11-26 15:11 -0600
    Re: the language Rosario193 <Rosario@invalid.invalid> - 2014-11-28 12:16 +0100
      Re: the language Rosario193 <Rosario@invalid.invalid> - 2014-11-28 12:18 +0100
  Re: the language John Bode <jfbode1029@gmail.com> - 2014-11-26 13:12 -0800
    Re: the language Kaz Kylheku <kaz@kylheku.com> - 2014-11-27 00:37 +0000
    Re: the language Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2014-11-27 01:13 +0000
  Re: the language raltbos@xs4all.nl (Richard Bos) - 2014-11-26 22:45 +0000
    Re: the language Rosario193 <Rosario@invalid.invalid> - 2014-11-27 07:41 +0100
  Re: the language Rosario193 <Rosario@invalid.invalid> - 2014-11-27 08:12 +0100
    Re: the language Morris Dovey <mrdovey@iedu.com> - 2014-11-27 01:43 -0600
      Re: the language Rosario193 <Rosario@invalid.invalid> - 2014-11-28 11:56 +0100
        Re: the language Morris Dovey <mrdovey@iedu.com> - 2014-11-28 09:08 -0600
          Re: the language Rosario193 <Rosario@invalid.invalid> - 2014-11-28 20:58 +0100
            Re: the language Morris Dovey <mrdovey@iedu.com> - 2014-11-28 19:22 -0600
              Re: the language Rosario193 <Rosario@invalid.invalid> - 2014-12-02 02:59 +0100
                Re: the language Kaz Kylheku <kaz@kylheku.com> - 2014-12-02 02:53 +0000
                Re: the language Les Cargill <lcargill99@comcast.com> - 2014-12-01 21:25 -0600
                Re: the language Kaz Kylheku <kaz@kylheku.com> - 2014-12-02 06:22 +0000
  Re: the language Richard Heathfield <invalid@see.sig.invalid> - 2014-11-27 08:37 +0000
    Re: the language Reinhardt Behm <rbehm@hushmail.com> - 2014-11-27 16:44 +0800
      Re: the language gazelle@shell.xmission.com (Kenny McCormack) - 2014-11-27 15:35 +0000
        Re: the language Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2014-11-27 11:58 -0500
          Re: the language jt@toerring.de (Jens Thoms Toerring) - 2014-11-27 22:44 +0000
            Re: the language Rosario193 <Rosario@invalid.invalid> - 2014-11-28 09:52 +0100
            Re: the language Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2014-11-28 12:53 -0800
          Re: the language Thomas Jahns <jahns@idontlikespam.dkrz.de> - 2014-11-28 10:07 +0100
            Re: the language Thomas Jahns <jahns@idontlikespam.dkrz.de> - 2014-11-28 14:57 +0100
            Re: the language Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2014-11-28 13:09 -0800
    Re: the language Rosario193 <Rosario@invalid.invalid> - 2014-11-28 12:01 +0100
      Re: the language Richard Heathfield <invalid@see.sig.invalid> - 2014-11-28 14:46 +0000
    Re: the language Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2014-11-28 13:16 -0800
      Re: the language gazelle@shell.xmission.com (Kenny McCormack) - 2014-11-28 22:09 +0000
        Re: the language Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2014-12-01 03:40 -0800
      Re: the language Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2014-11-28 14:42 -0800
        Re: the language Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2014-12-01 03:22 -0800
      Re: the language Richard Heathfield <invalid@see.sig.invalid> - 2014-11-28 23:09 +0000
        Re: the language Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2014-11-28 16:14 -0800
          Re: the language BartC <bc@freeuk.com> - 2014-11-29 01:42 +0000
          Re: the language Kaz Kylheku <kaz@kylheku.com> - 2014-11-29 01:42 +0000
            Re: the language Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2014-11-29 04:03 -0800
          Re: the language Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2014-12-01 00:55 -0800
            Re: the language glen herrmannsfeldt <gah@ugcs.caltech.edu> - 2014-12-02 05:42 +0000
        Re: the language Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2014-11-28 19:25 -0500
        Re: the language Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2014-12-01 03:21 -0800
          Re: the language Richard Heathfield <invalid@see.sig.invalid> - 2014-12-01 14:02 +0000
            Re: the language Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2014-12-05 10:18 -0800
              Re: the language Richard Heathfield <invalid@see.sig.invalid> - 2014-12-07 08:25 +0000
                Re: the language Öö Tiib <ootiib@hot.ee> - 2014-12-07 10:44 -0800
                Re: the language Richard Heathfield <invalid@see.sig.invalid> - 2014-12-07 19:17 +0000
                Re: the language Öö Tiib <ootiib@hot.ee> - 2014-12-07 15:48 -0800
                Re: the language Richard Heathfield <invalid@see.sig.invalid> - 2014-12-08 05:45 +0000
                Re: the language Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2014-12-08 03:27 -0800
                Re: the language Kaz Kylheku <kaz@kylheku.com> - 2014-12-08 06:00 +0000
                Re: the language Richard Heathfield <invalid@see.sig.invalid> - 2014-12-08 06:17 +0000
                Re: the language Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2014-12-08 03:37 -0800
                Re: the language Richard Heathfield <invalid@see.sig.invalid> - 2014-12-08 12:53 +0000
                Re: the language Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2014-12-16 04:21 -0800
                Re: the language Richard Heathfield <invalid@see.sig.invalid> - 2014-12-16 12:43 +0000
                Re: the language Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2014-12-16 14:46 -0800
                Re: the language Richard Heathfield <invalid@see.sig.invalid> - 2014-12-17 00:23 +0000
                Re: the language JohnF <john@please.see.sig.for.email.com> - 2014-12-17 07:01 +0000
                Re: the language Richard Heathfield <invalid@see.sig.invalid> - 2014-12-17 07:22 +0000
                Re: the language Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2014-12-17 11:56 +0000
                Re: the language Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2014-12-17 05:43 -0800
                Re: the language Rosario193 <Rosario@invalid.invalid> - 2014-12-18 18:30 +0100
                Re: the language Rosario193 <Rosario@invalid.invalid> - 2014-12-18 18:41 +0100
                Re: the language Richard Heathfield <invalid@see.sig.invalid> - 2014-12-17 14:34 +0000
                Re: the language Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2014-12-18 02:15 +0000
                Re: the language James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2014-12-17 22:31 -0500
                Re: the language Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2014-12-18 17:19 +0000
                Re: the language Richard Heathfield <invalid@see.sig.invalid> - 2014-12-18 07:52 +0000
                Re: the language Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2014-12-18 17:21 +0000
                Re: the language Richard Heathfield <invalid@see.sig.invalid> - 2014-12-18 18:15 +0000
                Re: the language Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2014-12-19 01:20 +0000
                Re: the language Richard Heathfield <invalid@see.sig.invalid> - 2014-12-19 07:48 +0000
                Re: the language James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2014-12-19 07:40 -0500
                Re: the language Richard Heathfield <invalid@see.sig.invalid> - 2014-12-19 12:54 +0000
                Re: the language James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2014-12-19 09:54 -0500
                Re: the language Richard Heathfield <invalid@see.sig.invalid> - 2014-12-19 15:19 +0000
                Re: the language James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2014-12-19 11:00 -0500
                Re: the language Richard Heathfield <invalid@see.sig.invalid> - 2014-12-19 16:13 +0000
                Re: the language James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2014-12-19 11:27 -0500
                Re: the language Richard Heathfield <invalid@see.sig.invalid> - 2014-12-19 16:45 +0000
                Re: the language James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2014-12-19 13:48 -0500
                Re: the language Richard Heathfield <invalid@see.sig.invalid> - 2014-12-19 19:10 +0000
                Re: the language Morris Dovey <mrdovey@iedu.com> - 2014-12-19 21:17 -0600
                Re: the language Morris Dovey <mrdovey@iedu.com> - 2014-12-19 21:32 -0600
                Re: the language Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2014-12-19 16:49 +0000
                Re: the language Richard Heathfield <invalid@see.sig.invalid> - 2014-12-19 17:00 +0000
                Re: the language James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2014-12-19 13:57 -0500
                Re: the language Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2014-12-19 14:31 -0800
                Re: the language Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2014-12-19 20:29 +0000
                Re: the language Richard Heathfield <invalid@see.sig.invalid> - 2014-12-19 20:36 +0000
                Re: the language Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2014-12-17 07:18 -0800
                Re: the language Richard Heathfield <invalid@see.sig.invalid> - 2014-12-17 15:45 +0000
                Re: the language glen herrmannsfeldt <gah@ugcs.caltech.edu> - 2014-12-17 16:50 +0000
                Re: the language raltbos@xs4all.nl (Richard Bos) - 2014-12-17 17:24 +0000
                Re: the language Robert Wessel <robertwessel2@yahoo.com> - 2014-12-18 02:07 -0600
                Re: the language raltbos@xs4all.nl (Richard Bos) - 2014-12-18 12:04 +0000
                Re: the language Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2014-12-18 08:06 -0500
                Re: the language James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2014-12-18 08:30 -0500
                Re: the language Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2014-12-19 00:11 -0500
                Re: the language glen herrmannsfeldt <gah@ugcs.caltech.edu> - 2014-12-19 07:00 +0000
                Re: the language Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2014-12-19 08:43 -0800
                Re: the language Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2014-12-19 23:29 -0500
                Re: the language Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2014-12-20 00:37 -0800
                Re: the language gazelle@shell.xmission.com (Kenny McCormack) - 2014-12-20 08:45 +0000
                Re: the language raltbos@xs4all.nl (Richard Bos) - 2014-12-20 09:45 +0000
                Re: the language Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2014-12-20 03:17 -0800
                Re: the language Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2014-12-18 06:09 -0800
                Re: the language raltbos@xs4all.nl (Richard Bos) - 2014-12-18 14:30 +0000
                Re: the language raltbos@xs4all.nl (Richard Bos) - 2014-12-18 14:23 +0000
                Re: the language Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2014-12-18 08:18 -0800
                Re: the language Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2014-12-20 12:22 -0500
                Re: the language James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2014-12-20 13:36 -0500
                Re: the language Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2014-12-20 11:43 -0800
                Re: the language Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2014-12-20 11:37 -0800
                Re: the language glen herrmannsfeldt <gah@ugcs.caltech.edu> - 2014-12-20 20:10 +0000
                Re: the language Robert Wessel <robertwessel2@yahoo.com> - 2014-12-21 15:02 -0600
                Re: the language Kaz Kylheku <kaz@kylheku.com> - 2014-12-21 22:02 +0000
                Re: the language Stephen Sprunk <stephen@sprunk.org> - 2014-12-21 23:49 -0600
                Re: the language raltbos@xs4all.nl (Richard Bos) - 2014-12-21 17:45 +0000
                Re: the language Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2014-12-18 10:29 -0800
                Re: the language Robert Wessel <robertwessel2@yahoo.com> - 2014-12-20 05:29 -0600
                Re: the language Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2014-12-20 11:32 -0800
                Re: the language Robert Wessel <robertwessel2@yahoo.com> - 2014-12-21 15:23 -0600
                Re: the language Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2014-12-22 23:39 -0800
                Re: the language glen herrmannsfeldt <gah@ugcs.caltech.edu> - 2014-12-20 20:22 +0000
                Re: the language Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2014-12-18 10:24 -0800
                Re: the language Richard Heathfield <invalid@see.sig.invalid> - 2014-12-18 18:36 +0000
                Re: the language Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2014-12-19 09:24 -0800
                Re: the language Richard Heathfield <invalid@see.sig.invalid> - 2014-12-19 17:53 +0000
                Re: the language Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2014-12-20 11:48 -0800
                Re: the language JohnF <john@please.see.sig.for.email.com> - 2014-12-19 02:20 +0000
                Re: the language Richard Heathfield <invalid@see.sig.invalid> - 2014-12-19 08:31 +0000
                Re: the language JohnF <john@please.see.sig.for.email.com> - 2014-12-19 09:31 +0000
                Re: the language Richard Heathfield <invalid@see.sig.invalid> - 2014-12-19 10:10 +0000
                Re: the language Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2014-12-19 07:08 -0800
                Re: the language JohnF <john@please.see.sig.for.email.com> - 2014-12-20 06:39 +0000
                Re: the language John Forkosh <forkosh@panix.com> - 2014-12-20 07:32 +0000
                Re: the language Greg Martin <greg.at.softsprocket@dot.com> - 2015-01-04 17:02 +0000
                Re: the language James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2015-01-04 12:40 -0500
                Re: the language Greg Martin <greg.at.softsprocket@dot.com> - 2015-01-04 18:02 +0000
                Re: the language James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2015-01-05 09:47 -0500
                Re: the language Greg Martin <greg.at.softsprocket@dot.com> - 2015-01-05 15:14 +0000
                Re: the language Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2015-01-05 08:42 -0800
                Re: the language glen herrmannsfeldt <gah@ugcs.caltech.edu> - 2015-01-06 00:14 +0000
                Re: the language James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2015-01-05 13:19 -0500
                Re: the language Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2015-01-04 15:59 -0500
                Re: the language Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2015-01-04 14:30 -0800
                Re: the language Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2015-01-04 15:44 -0800
                Re: the language James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2015-01-05 13:36 -0500
  Re: the language Rosario193 <Rosario@invalid.invalid> - 2014-11-28 12:07 +0100
  Re: the language "ocq (an evil corporate man)" <ocq@maili.ng> - 2014-12-02 23:16 +0100
    Re: the language Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2014-12-03 02:23 -0800
      Re: the language "ocq (an evil corporate man)" <ocq@maili.ng> - 2014-12-03 15:55 +0100
      Re: the language Nobody <nobody@nowhere.invalid> - 2014-12-03 15:42 +0000
        Re: the language Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2014-12-04 04:49 -0800
          Re: the language Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2014-12-04 09:07 -0800
            Re: the language Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2014-12-04 10:08 -0800
              Re: the language Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2014-12-04 11:49 -0800
                Re: the language Rosario193 <Rosario@invalid.invalid> - 2014-12-05 12:32 +0100
          Re: the language raltbos@xs4all.nl (Richard Bos) - 2014-12-04 22:17 +0000
  Re: the language Rosario193 <Rosario@invalid.invalid> - 2014-12-18 18:17 +0100
    Re: the language Richard Heathfield <invalid@see.sig.invalid> - 2014-12-18 18:12 +0000
      Re: the language Rosario193 <Rosario@invalid.invalid> - 2014-12-18 23:15 +0100
        Re: the language Rosario193 <Rosario@invalid.invalid> - 2014-12-18 23:50 +0100
    Re: the language "ocq (an evil corporate man)" <ocq@maili.ng> - 2014-12-19 02:34 +0100

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